An innocent question by the stockbroker’s assistant today triggered a train of thoughts. Why are you selling your shares like there is no tomorrow? She had asked.
Looking for an appropriate answer, one said, “Oh! I am worried about the firing of missiles by North Korea and her belligerent attitude.” She countered, “Yes, but our market remains unaffected and your shares are going up.” I replied, “Yes, but the regional and international markets may not feel the same.” The selling continued.
Not many English educated Diaspora Chinese have heard of or know the Zhouyi well. Skepticism abounds. There is no point to give and explain the main reason behind the selling. After all, is it not wise to buy low and sell high? Once a set target has been reached, it is time to sell (or buy). To hold on hoping for further gains, we may have cause to regret. For greed have no limits.
Back in 1991, after consulting the Yi, one has decided to switch from the US Dollars deposits to invest in Pound Sterling. My personal financial manager in a US Bank had questioned my decision because Pound Sterling was drifting lower and the research analysts have been calling for a sell. One had told her that since the currency was cheap and together with its high deposit rate, it was time to invest for a good return. She advised to put the currency into a short term, one month tenure, because of the risk and was flabbergasted when I said, six. She had asked why, and I had to assure her, not to worry. On top of that, one increased the Pound Sterling deposits with a US Dollar loan. Six months later, on maturity of the deposits and after the repayment of the US Dollar loan, the high returns on investment had surprised her. When she was curious on how I did it, my reply was, “Just lucky.”
Was there ever a need to go into a lengthy explanation to this manager and now the stockbroker assistant on how the profound Yi works?
Probably the last word comes from a Daoist adept, Ziyang Zhenren:
If one cultivates one’s action while mingling with the world and is still in harmony with the light, then the round is round and the angular has angles; then he lives among men, mysterious yet visible, different and yet the same, and none can compass it; then no one notices our secret actions.”
The living manner of the circulation of the light has just this meaning: to live mingling with the world and yet in harmony with the light.
[The Secret of the Golden Flower – W/B]
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